Families who have owned the same farm for more than a century will be honoured at the New Zealand Century Farm Awards in Lawrence next Saturday.
Twenty-two families from around the country will attend the official function at the Simpson Park complex, with four receiving sesquicentennial awards (150 years).
The Century Farm Awards is the brainchild of the Lawrence Heritage and Opportunities Working Party, which decided to recognise New Zealand farming families with a connection to the land of at least 100 years.
NZ Century Farm and Station Awards Committee chairman Symon Howard said the group was in the final stages of planning and hoped to host about 100 people.
The awards dinner was now open to the public and previous recipients of the awards.
Radio Farming personality Jamie Mackay had compered the awards for the past three years but Mr Mackay and his family would be joining the century farm award list, with television presenter Peter Hayden compering this year.
The guest speaker is yet to be announced.
• The Century Farm Awards 2011 recipients to be honoured at the celebration dinner are, in order of area:
Balclutha: R.S. and A.M. Hallum (family settled 1908).
Brightwater, Nelson: Ronald Higgins (1850).
Darfield: Clive Dennis (1879), M.W.D. and B.A. Mulholland (1886).
Gore: D.R. Beccard (1887), Don Mackay (1910).
Kaiapoi: Carol Martin (1860). Karamea: Harley T. McNabb (1893).
Kumara: P.J. Fitzgerald (1875).
New Plymouth: Copestake Family Trust (1903).
Oamaru: A.D. and R.J. Calder (1870), Kathrin McNally (1908).
Otautau: J.N. and N.S. Manson (1905).
Oturehua: G. and N. Nevill (1910).
Owaka: M.A. and L.J. Harrison (1895).
Pukekohe: Jewl Dell (1910).
Ranfurly: John Beattie (1910).
Upper Moutere: Maurice Harvey (1859), R. and J. Easton (1910).
Wairarapa: D. and L. Fairbrother (1876).
Wellington: Len Bryant (1857).